Controlling the shearing of metal bars while in motion



March 7, 1933. MORGAN 1,900,252

CONTROLLING THE SHEARING OF METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Filed May 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wyjw IVE/52am a M;

March 7, 1933. M MORGAN 1,900,252

CONTROLLING THE SHEARING OF METAL BARS WHILE IN MOTION Filed May 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Niles Morgan Widow I .known' in the art as I Patented 7, 1933 I UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE MORGAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN CONSTRUC- TION COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS CONTROLLING THE SHEABING OF METAIJ BARS WHILE IN MOTION Application filed m 16,

- The present invention relates to the shear ing or cutting of metal bars, billets, or similar elongated rolled products, while the same are in motion, which is the practice employed '5 in steel mills where the continuously delivered, rapidly-moving stock is cut up into I commercial lengths as fast as it is delivered from the finishing rolls of the mill.

Devices for thus severing the metal without interrupting or slowing down its continuous high-speed delivery from the mill, are

flying shears. The present invention resides in a novel method and apparatus for controlling the operations of such a shear, by way of causin each elongated piece of stock as delivered y the mill, to be cropped off at its front end, then to be cut into predetermined equal lengths, and finally to be cropped off at its rear end. As ,will hereinafter appear, the apparatus is entirely automatic in its operation, and for.

an given adjustment or setting will invariab y cause the shear to crop every piece of stock" at both ends, in a uniform manner,

regardless of the number and size of the bars or billets into which the .intermediate portion of each piece ma be cut. The above and other advantageous eatures of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear, with reference to. the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a' diagrammatic view illustrating the condition of the apparatus as the front end of each piece of rolled stock approaches theshean, 1 1

Fig. 2'is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the-shear to crop the front end of the stock.

Fig. 3is a diagrammatic view illustrating the condition of the apparatus as the stock, withits front end cropped ofi, runs out beyond the shear, prior to the first of the succewive cuts that produce the predetermined lengths. r

- Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustratin the operation of the shear for the first an subsequent cuts of the stock into predeter-' mined lengths. 1 Fig.5 isadiagrammatic viewillustrating 1929. Serial No. 383,458.'

the condition of the apparatus between the I successive cuts into predetermined lengths.

Fig. 6- is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the shear to crop the rear end of the stock. v

Like reference characters refer tolike parts in the differentfig'ures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the inventionis shown, by way of example, with a flying shear of the type shownand described in Edwards patent No. 1,521,514 issued December 30, 1924, although it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to othertypes' of shearing devices. The shear, in the .form shown, comprises a swinging shear frame 1, pivoted at 2, the frame 1 providing an opening 3 for the passage of thestock 4, which, as delivered from the mill,

is moved longitudinally, in the direction of the arrow, on the conveyor rollers 5, 5. Adjacent the opening 3, the shear provides the usualfixed and movable blades 6 and 7, respectively, which are arranged to perform a. cutting operation on each swing of the frame 1, in the direction of travel of the stock 4. Such a swing, efiected as here shown by movement of a piston 8 in a cylinder 9, may be inaugurated y the operation of any suitable valve 10, for the control of the pressure medium used in the cylinder.

A lever 11 for operating the valve 10 is connected to the plunger 12 of a solenoid 13,. so that each time the solenoid 13 is energized,

the plunger 12 will be moved, to operate 'the valve 10 and cause the shear to function. One terminal of the solenoid 13 is permanently connected to one side, (as here shown the minus side) of a suitable electrical supply, indicated at 14,-while the other terminal at suitable intervals, to the other or plus side of the supply 14 as determined by the stocks successive automatic operation of certain circuit-closing devices, as hereinafter described.

For operating the shear to cut the front and rear crop ends, the invention provides a device, responsive to the presence of stock, here shown as a flag or trigger15, disposed in the path of the stock 4, as it approaches the shear, the trigger 15 being pivoted at'16' and being held by gravity in the position shown by Fig. 1, to dispose its upper end in the path of the stock. The trigger is permanently connected to the plus side of the electrical supply 14 and carries a contact plate 17 that is adapted to make engagement with one or the other of spaced stationary contacts 18 and 19, depending upon whether or not any stock is in engagement with said trigger. The stationary contacts 18 and 19 are connected to the coils 20 and 21, respectively, of certain time delay relay devices A and B, said coils being connected in parallel to the minus side of electrical supply 14, as shown. When the trigger 15 is up, in the absence of engagement by the stock, as shown in Fig. 1, the winding 21 of the relay B is energized, as shown by the heavy circuit lines, Fig. 1, whereas when the trigger 15 is depressed by the passage of stock, as shown in Fig. 2, the winding 20 of the relay A is energized as shown by the heavy circuit lines, Fig. 2.

For operating the shearto cut the stock, intermediate its front and rear crops, into predetermined lengths, the invention provides a second device, responsive to the presence of stock, here shown as a flag 22, dis- Eosed beyond the shear frame 1, the flag 22 eing pivotally mounted at 23 on an adjustable slide 24. The latter by means of a screw 25, can be set at any distance from the shear, as determined by the lengths desired for the cut-up pieces. The lower end of the flag 22 extends into the path of the stock as it advances over the rolls 5 beyond the shear, and when the front of the moving stock strikes the flag 22, the latter is turned about its pivot 23 to bring a contact 26 of the flag into engagement with a yieldable contact 27 permanently connected to the plus side of the supply 14. The flag contact 26 is connected to one terminal of the shear solenoid 13, and since the other terminal of thesolenoid 13 is connected to the minus side of the supply 14, this engagement of the flag contact 26 and the yieldable contact 27 is adapted to energize the shear solenoid 13 to operate the shear. The shear solenoid 13 is also adapted to be energized through other yieldable contacts 28 and 29 connected in parallel with the contact 26 of trigger 22, and the energization of these contacts 28 and 29 is under the control of the time relay windings 20 and 21,

operating in a manner, which will now be set forth in connection with a description of the complete operating cycle of the apparatus,

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus is shown in the position which it occupies when the stock 4 is approaching the shear, with the trigger 15 not yet engaged, and the trigger 22 occupying a substantially vertical position under the pull of spring 41, so that its contact 26 is out of engagement with the yieldable contact 27, and the shear solenoid 13 is deenergized. With the trigger 15 thus held up by gravity, the contact 17 carried thereby is maintained in engagement with the stationary contact 19 of the relay winding 21, so that this winding is energized as indicated by the heavy circuit lines and arrows, Fig. 1. With the winding 21 energized, the operating plunger 30 of relay device B is drawn down within the winding, against the pull of spring 30a to maintain a pivoted contact arm 31 above and out of engagement with the yieldable contact 29, the

rack and pinion connection 6 between the plunger 30 and the arm 31 being such as to cause turning movement of the arm 31 in either direction in response to the movement of the plunger 30. At the same time, the plunger 32 of relay device A, as shown in Fig. 1, is held up from the winding 20 by means of a spring 32a, whereby the rack and pinion connection a maintains an arm 33 with its free end below and out of engagement with the yieldable contact 28, the distance by which the arm 33 is separated from the contact 28 being determined by an adjustable stop 34 for a purpose which will shortly appear.

Let it now be assumed that the stock approaching over the rolls 5 depresses the flag 15 as shown in Fig. 2, thus moving the contact 1? into engagement with the contact 18 and breaking the circuit between the contacts 17 and 19. When this occurs, the winding 20 of the relay A is energized, as indicated by the heavy circuit lines and arrows in Fig. 2, thereby causing the plunger 32 to be drawn within the winding 20 against the pull of spring 32a. This causes a relatively slow upward turning movement of the arm 33, so

ing in mind the fact that the stock is traveling very rapidly, it is obvious that the length of the front crop can be readily controlled by varying the amount which the arm 33 has to travel in order to enga e the contact 28 and since the pull of the sprlng 32a holds the arm 33 against the stop 34 when the winding 20 is deenergized, adjustment of the stop 34 will provide means for directly controlling the length of the front crop. Obviously, how

ever, other forms of time delay relay devices can be employed for establishing the desired time interval between the energization of winding 20 and the engagement of contact 28.

As the stock passes on through the shear after cutting off the front crop end, as shown in Fig. 2, it continues to hold the contact 17 of trigger 15 in engagement with the contact 18, thereby keeping the winding energized.

Therefore the plunger 32 continues to be drawnupwardly and this movement, as-communicated to arm 33 through the rack and pinion connection (1, causes such flexureof the yieldable contact 28 as to let the arm 33 pass by, breaking the circuit as shown in Fig. 3, and thereby deenergizing the shear solenoid 13. For the sake of simplicity, the yieldable contacts 27 28 and 29 are shown as consisting merel of sprin fingers which will yield in either irection w en engaged by the moving contact arms 26, 33' and 31, respectively, and it should be noted at this point that the upper surface of the contact 28 provides an insulating plate so that the arm 33 makes no electrical connection with the contact 28 on its downward movement, from the positionshown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

As previously noted, when the trigger 15 is depressed, the circuit containing the relay winding 21 is interrupted at the contact 19; this causes the arm 31 to swing downwardly under the influence of spring 30a, and since the yieldable contact 29 is provided with an insulating plate 36 in the same manner as the contact 28, there is no electrical connection between the arm 31 and the contact 29 as the arm 31 moves to its lower position,-

shown in Figs. 2 and 3 where it brings up against the adjustable stop 37. In other words, depression of the trigger 15 by the moving stock-4 in addition to causing energization of the winding 20 of front crop re- I lay A, and the shearing of the front crop after a predetermined interval, also has the effect of deenergizing the, winding 21 of rear crop relay B and placing the relay control arm 31 in position to'cause ultimately, the

, cutting of a crop from the rear end of the stock, in a manner to be hereinafter described. y

Referring now to Fig. 4, the advancing cropped end of the stock 4 is shown as havng engaged the trigger 22 thereby turning the trigger to bring its contact arm 26 into engagement with the yieldable contact 27. Engagement of these contacts immediately completes the circuit through the shear s'ole-. noid 13 as shown in heavy lines in Fig. 4,

- whereu on the shear now operates to cut the first -o the predetermined lengths. Each length so cut off is speededup with respect to the remainder of the stock by rollers 38, thereby to produce an appreciable gap between the length just cut and the remainder of the stock as indicated at 40, Fig. 5. As the cut off length advances on rollers 38,- trig ger 22 is turned beyond the contact position shown in Fig. 4 to non-contacting position shown inFig. 5 due to the flexing of the yieldable I contact 27, this'action, of course, breaking thecircuit of the shear solenoid 13. The contact 27 is of the same type as the contacts 28 and 29 previously referred to in that it is adapted to yield so as to clear the end of the arm 26 and furthermore it provides an insulating plate 39 on one sideso that when the'trigger 22 under. the influence of spring 41, returns to its normal verticalposition in the gap between successive cut off lengths, as

indicated in Fig. 6, no circuit through the shear solenoid 13 is established during such returnmovement. As will be apparent, for

the remaining length of the piece of stock 4, the apparatus will continue to function in the manner illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5, the

ear solenoid 13 being energized at each -new engagement of the trigger 22 by' the front end of the stock, and the time relay devices A-and B remainin inoperative, so far as any effect on said s ear solenoid 13 is concerned. This condition prevails until the tail end of the stock 4 nears the shear.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and6, as soon as the tail end of the piece of stock 4 clears the trigger 15,the. latter moves by gravity, caus-" ing theplateor member 17 tomove away from stationary contact 18 (thereby to break the circuitthrough winding 20 of relay A) and to engage'the stationary contact 19, thereby to energize the winding 21 of rear crop relay B, as indicated in heavy lines in Fig. 6. When this occurs the plunger 30,- is drawn downwardly to cause the arm 31 to swing upwardly and engage the yieldable contact 29, the arm 31 being so adjusted that the shear will be operated bv energization of the the cropped rear end has cleared theshear.

' Ihereupon the trigger 22 resumes. its normal vertical position as soon as it has been cleared by the cropped rear end of this short piece.

In the meanwhile the continued'energization of the rear crop relay winding 21 by the trigger 15 has caused the plunger 30 to move the arm 31 far enough to clear the yieldable contact 29, and furthermore the arm 33, by the action of spring 32a, has been turned downwardly past the yieldable contact 28 to -the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the 7 circuit relations shown in Fig.' 1 are again established. readiness for operating upon the next piece of stock delivered by the mill, and obviously Therefore everything is in the front of this next piece will be cropped by operation of the trigger 15, even though the trailing portionof the last out piece is stilhholding up the billet trigger 22.

ll claim:

1. Apparatus for shearing material in motion, comprising a flying shear and means responsive to movement of the material to procure operations of said shear for cropping the front and rear ends of each piece of material, and severing it, intermediate said ends, into predetermined lengths.

2. Apparatus for shearing moving material comprising a flying shear, a solenoid for operating said shear and means controlled by movement of the material for automatically energizing said shear solenoid to operate saidshear first for the removal of a front crop, then to divide the material into predetermined lengths and finally for the removal of a rear crop.

3. Apparatus for shearing moving material, comprising a flying shear, and a plurality of devices, each responsive to movement of the material for automatically actuating said shear to crop both the front and rear ends of said material and to cut it intermediate said ends into desired lengths.

4. Apparatus for shearing moving material, comprising a flying shear, a responsive device in the approach to said shear and operated by the material to actuate said shear for the cropping of the front and rear ends of said material, and a second responsive device beyond said shear and operated by the material to actuate said shear for the division of said material into predetermined lengths.

5. Apparatus for shearing moving material, comprising a flying shear, and a responsive device in the approach to the shear and operated by movement of the material to procure in one position a front crop cut of theshear, and in another position a rear crop cut of the shear.

6. Apparatus for shearing moving material, comprising a flying shear, a responsive device in the approach to said shear for opercombination with a shear for operation on ation by the advancing end of said material, and a time relay between said responsive device and said shear to control the length of the front crop cut by said shear from said advancing end.

7. Apparatus for shearing moving material, comprising a flying shear, a responsive device in the approach to said shear for operation by the passage thereover of the last end of said material, and a time relay between saidiresponsivedevice and said shear to control the length of the crop cut by the shearfrom said last end.

8; In apparatus of the class described, the

successively-arriving pieces of moving material, of means responsive to each pieces arrival at a predetermined point for causing a front crop cut of said shear on said piece,

reoaaaa and means responsive to the passage beyond said point of the tail end of each piece for causing a rear crop cut of said shear on said piece.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the

operations for causing periodic shear opera-- tions for the division of said piece into de-- sired lengths.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a

shear operated periodically, in response to travel of the material being sheared, to divide each piece of said material into predetermined lengths, and means responsive to said travel of'said material for producing a rear crop cut of said shear on each piece of material.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a shear operated periodically, in response to travel of the material being sheared, to divide each piece of said material into predetermined lengths, and means responsive to said travel of said material for producing a front crop cut and a rear crop cut of said shear on each piece of material.

12. The combination with a shear for operation on successively-arriving pieces of moving material, of a member engaged by each piece in its approach to said shear for operating the latter to crop said pieces front end, and means responsive to the release of said member by the rear end of said piece for operating said shear to crop said pieces rear end.

MYLES MORGAN. 

